The move now allows police and prosecutors to consider reopening the case against former RAAF recruit Raymond Carroll for the abduction and murder of 17-month-old Deidre Kennedy 41 years ago.

Carroll, now 59, has always protested his innocence.

He was convicted of Deidre’s murder in 1985 but it was overturned on appeal. In 2000, a jury sent him to jail for lying about the murder but his perjury conviction was turned over by the High Court of Australia.

Mr Dutton, who is still brought to tears when reflecting on the Kennedy case - one of Queensland’s most shocking unsolved crimes - lobbied Mr Bleijie for the changes.

It is understood new technology in dentistry could spark a re-investigation of the case.

In 2006, Queensland changed its double jeopardy laws but they were not retrospective, meaning it did not apply to any acquittals before October 18, 2007.

Mr Bleijie, who refused to comment on any specific cases, told The Courier-Mail that it would be up to police and prosecutors about what cases they would reopen.

``We are keeping the promise we made to Queenslanders that we would revitalise frontline services and rebalance the scales of justice back in favour of the victim, not the offender,” Mr Bleijie said.

``The double jeopardy rule prevents a defendant from being tried again on the same or similar charges following an acquittal or conviction, even if new evidence comes to light.

``Advances in technology, particularly DNA testing, means new evidence may become available years after a trial. It would be an injustice if that new evidence could not be considered by a jury.

“Sadly, the former Labor government left Queensland behind when it made changes (and) Queensland was the only jurisdiction in Australia to not make its amendments retrospective.

``A retrial will be allowed for a past charge of murder when there is fresh and compelling evidence. It will also be allowed for past offences with 25 years or more imprisonment if the original acquittal is tainted.’’

Just 17 months old, Deidre was snatched from her bed in Ipswich in 1973. Her body was found on the roof of a toilet block just hours after she was reported missing. She had been assaulted, bitten and murdered.

Mr Dutton was a young detective in the Queensland Police Service when he met Mrs Kennedy. He was tasked with carrying out surveillance.

The circumstances about the Kennedy case prompted him - then an MP - to lobby former prime minister John Howard and then federal attorney-general Philip Ruddock for changes to double-jeopardy laws and to get the issue put to a meeting between all attorneys-general in the country.

In 2012, he told The Sunday Mail, ``He (Mr Bleijie) knew a lot about the case...and I just explained to him the safeguards put in place. It’s not an abolition of double jeopardy, an incredibly-important 800-year-old law, it’s just that we need to update and modernise the law,’’ Mr Dutton said.

``I think what Queenslanders want is justice to be done and seen to be done in any case.’’